Daming Palace National Heritage Park 大明宫国家遗址公园Dàmíng Gōng Guójiā Yízhǐ Gōngyuán

Why go to Daming Palace National Heritage Park

Just north of Xi'an Railway Station, this huge park marks out the Tang dynasty's main palace, whose timber halls vanished more than a thousand years ago. Enter through the Danfeng Gate, rebuilt as a protective hall over the excavated foundations of the five-passage main gate, then walk north past the bare earthen platforms of the Hanyuan, Xuanzheng and Zichen halls to the Taiye Pond, with a site museum and scale models to help you picture what stood here.

The story

Emperor Taizong began the palace in 634 as a summer retreat for his retired father, and from 663 it was the main seat of the Tang court for more than two centuries. Foreign envoys were received in the Hanyuan Hall, raised on a platform about 15 metres high, before the palace was burned in 896 in the wars that ended the dynasty.

What to see at Daming Palace National Heritage Park

• Danfeng Gate 丹凤门: The palace's main south gate, with five passages, now sheltered inside a protective hall where you can look down at the excavated foundations.
• Hanyuan Hall site 含元殿遗址: The base of the main throne hall, raised about 15 metres above the ground on the edge of the Longshou plateau; the Tang court held its major ceremonies here.
• Xuanzheng and Zichen halls 宣政殿与紫宸殿遗址: Two more halls on the same axis north of Hanyuan, where the emperor held court and conducted daily business, marked now by their earthen platforms.
• Linde Hall 麟德殿: The largest of the palace's side halls, used for banquets, performances and receiving foreign envoys; its plan has been marked out on the original foundations.
• Taiye Pond 太液池: The pleasure garden at the northern end, with its pond and an island, known as Penglai Hill, one of the few places in the park that still has water.

How to visit Daming Palace National Heritage Park

Enter by the Danfeng Gate, walk north along the old central axis through Hanyuan, Xuanzheng and Zichen, then on to the pond. The whole line is a long walk, so allow time for the heat in summer. A half-day covers the axis and the site museum; a full day lets you add Linde Hall and the side areas.

How to get to Daming Palace National Heritage Park

Take Metro Line 4 to Xi'anzhan (Xi'an Railway Station); the Danfeng Gate, the park's main entrance, faces the station's north building across the square. A taxi from the Bell Tower takes about 15 minutes.

Where to stay

The area around Xi'an Railway Station is the nearest base, with Metro Line 4 reaching the gate; for restaurants and sights on foot, base yourself inside the city wall.

What to eat

• Roujiamo 肉夹馍: Braised pork in a crisp flatbread, sold by the gate area and across the city.
• Zenggao 甑糕: A sticky steamed cake of glutinous rice, red dates and sometimes beans, sold as a Xi'an breakfast treat.
• Persimmon cakes 柿子饼: Dried persimmons pressed flat and sugar-dusted, a Shaanxi sweet bought as a gift or snack.

Tips for visiting Daming Palace National Heritage Park

• Enter by the Danfeng Gate and walk north: you can roam the open parkland, while the gate's museum, the core ruins and the site museum are ticketed.
• The park covers more than 3 square kilometres, so consider the electric shuttle carts if you want to reach the far end.

Nearby

• Muslim Quarter 回民街 under 10 km
  Halal street food and a temple-style mosque in the lanes north of the Drum Tower
• Bell Tower and Drum Tower 钟楼·鼓楼 under 10 km
  Two Ming towers at the heart of the walled city, where bell and drum once marked the day
• Forest of Stone Steles Museum 西安碑林博物馆 under 10 km
  Inscribed stone tablets of classics, calligraphy and Silk Road history by the south wall
• Xi'an City Wall 西安城墙 under 10 km
  Cycle all 14 km of a Ming city wall, high above Xi'an's rooftops
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda 小雁塔 under 10 km
  A slender Tang brick pagoda, cracked by earthquakes, in the grounds of the Xi'an Museum
• Shaanxi History Museum 陕西历史博物馆 under 10 km
  Tang gold and silver, original tomb murals and finds from Shaanxi's Zhou, Qin and Han past

Also within 30 km: Eighth Route Army Xi'an Office Memorial Hall 八路军西安办事处纪念馆 (under 10 km), Revolution Park 革命公园 (under 10 km), Yisushe Theatre 易俗社剧场 (under 10 km), Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall 西安事变纪念馆 (under 10 km), Guangren Temple 广仁寺 (under 10 km), Xi'an City God Temple 西安都城隍庙 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Daming Palace National Heritage Park on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)